SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN ABSENCE OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE.

The absence of global governance has resulted in vertical and horizontal spread of nuclear weapons. The mechanisms like Non proliferation treaty and the Comprehensive test ban treaty have failed to transform themselves as nuclear weapons control regimes. Result is that in the post cold-war period, three developing countries, India, Pakistan and North Korea have gone overtly nuclear. Incidentally all of these belong to Asia. Acquisition of nuclear weapons by these Asian countries and others continued desire to get them, inter alia, reopened the debate on the factors that motivate countries to go nuclear. It must be noted here that out of the eight nuclear weapons states who have gone overtly nuclear at least four out of them are modern liberal democracies. So what international theory did they follow while deciding their nuclear programme?. This study intends to understand the external factors that motivate countries to go nuclear, along with suggesting new mechanisms to stop further proliferation of these weapons. Also can a global regime be formed now to safeguard these weapons of mass destruction from reaching in the hands of non state actors who are desperate for them??. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]